In Cyfaraun, the Empire is rotting from the inside out, and the only thing keeping the city from drowning in its own filth is you. As desperate ‘Gutter Runners’ for the Curia’s Deep Watch, you’ll dive into a labyrinth of ancient sewers and forgotten ruins to troubleshoot the city’s deadliest problems. Down in the sunless depths, nightmarish abominations and cutthroat rival gangs are eager to make you their next victim. But the true peril lies in the unmapped vaults, where forgotten arcane conspiracies and long-buried secrets wait to be dragged into the light. It’s dirty, it’s dangerous, and the pay is just enough to keep you out of the slums—if you can survive the shadows long enough to get back to the surface.

The Situation

I run a school “D&D” club at the secondary school where I work. Over the past year or so, it’s been very hit and miss for me and the players. I have a couple of dedicated and slightly older players who trust me plus a revolving door of newbies and flaky players who sometimes show up. There are four or five “tables” in the club and mine is currently the least popular. Looking at the other tables, they are largely about fighting monsters.

Recently, I’ve been trying to run games in a dedicated manner. One example has been a “monster hunters” game where the players are modern-day investigators on a mission to root out a village threat. The problem is that, a) players flake in and out, b) some players are very immature and just want to treat it like a computer game (i.e. get into fights, and fight each other if not), and c) they don’t know how to play this kind of game. This has been an error on my part.

I’ve come to the conclusion that young newbies like D&D because it’s simplistic: you get a basic character archetype, you get to go bash monsters, you get to use cool powers, it feels like a computer game but you have more agency. But I don’t really enjoy that kind of simplistic play. I’d rather run something that leans into what computer games can’t do better: roleplay in-character.

Thus, I am trying to reincarnate “open table” play within the context of the club. The key restriction is that sessions are 1.5 hours long. Realistically, this is about 75 minutes of play time. That’s a tight turnaround to run a meaningful open table mission or expedition. But it might be doable with a tight scenario structure and the right kind of approach. While I considered using an “old school D&D” type system, I really am fed up with that.

I am asking, “How do I run a meaningful open table game powered by GURPS in 75 minutes sessions?”

I am also asking, “How do I make this feel like an open world game that might be able to offer the dedicated players a long-term experience?”

The pitch at the top of this post came from my proposed answer.

Game Structure (Open Table)

• Mission-Based: Each session is a self-contained 75-minute job.
• Ad Hoc Teams: No fixed party. Each week, whoever shows up forms the current crew of Gutter Runners.
• Choice of Work: Every session starts at the Curia gate with three “Maintenance Orders” (Jobs). The players present vote on which to pursue.
• Base Camp: All sessions begin and end at the Curia Office. Characters not back in 75 minutes face a survival roll to see what happens while they were “Lost in the Deep”.

The Process

• Pregenerated Characters: To maximise play time, you will choose from a roster of established pre-designed characters who have a reason to be a Gutter Runner.
• The World First: Play is grounded and “in-character.” We focus on the Otherworld perspective; rules terminology is kept to a minimum during play to maintain immersion.
• Lethality & Agency: Cyfaraun is dangerous. Survival depends on your choices, caution, and cleverness rather than “power-tripping” combat.
• Progression: Regular players will see their characters earn wealth and status, eventually uncovering clues to deeper, more lucrative secrets beneath the city.

System

• Powered by GURPS 4th Edition

Game on!